This invention is related to locking devices for motor vehicles and more particularly to a device for limiting movement of the steering wheel such that unauthorized drivers cannot operate the vehicle.
Although manufacturers have done much to inhibit theft of automobiles such as by making entry more difficult by door and window design, by making locks harder to defeat while at the same time incorporating hood latches operable only from inside the cabin, and by locking the steering wheel with the ignition lock, nevertheless, skilled thieves still succeed in defeating these measures.
Various after-market devices have also been only partially successful in inhibiting such thievery. Considerable sums are spent by automobile owners to install any of several types of auto alarm devices which respond to attempts to enter the car in a number of ways such as flashing the headlights, blowing the horn or operating a separate alarm such as a siren. Sophisticated car thieves often learn to disable such electronic devices. Another comparatively inexpensive device which has had some success consists essentially in a relatively long and sturdy bar which is locked to the steering wheel and which inhibits steering because it interferes with other solid parts of the car such as a door or windshield or which is attached at its opposite end to a brake pedal. Part of the purpose of such a device is to deter attempts at theft simply because it is very visible from outside and presents an obvious problem to a would-be thief. It is also somewhat unattractive in appearance and awkward to put on, take off and store. It is believed that there is a need for a device which will inhibit operation of the steering wheel in much the same way but which is significantly less unattractive in appearance and is more convenient to operate and to store while the vehicle is being operated.